Text Size

-

+

reset

Yet Farenthold, like dozens of his House GOP colleagues, said delaying or defunding Obamacare is worth a potential shutdown.

“Listen, our biggest struggle is to get the economy back on track,” Farenthold insisted. “We’ve tried spending cuts. We’ve tried the president’s tax increases… I think the consensus — certainly within my conference — is that Obamacare is the biggest thing in the way of economic growth.”

Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), a leading House conservative, said Republicans need to “keep telling the truth” about any potential government shutdown.

“I’ve said it — I don’t know how many times I’ve said it, a lot — this makes sense. We’re funding the government and we’re delaying a law that everyone knows is not ready. I don’t think it will ever be ready, but it’s not ready now.”

Jordan seemed convinced that his leadership has shown that they have the fortitude to withstand a shutdown.

“I think they understand the same thing I just explained to you, and they’re willing to make the case as they’re willing to make the case as evidenced by the bills over the last two weeks,” Jordan said. “We’re making the argument. It’s a simple fairness argument.”

Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.), speaking briefly to POLITICO, asserted that Reid and Senate Democrats should be blamed for any shutdown debacle.

“It’s up to the Senate Democrats,” Cantor insisted. “Are they on the side of the working people of this country? Are they going to be on the side of big business and special interests who have all gotten the delay of [the employer mandate] of Obamcare.”

Cantor added: “It is up to them, especially the red state Democrats. Why don’t you take a look at them and where they’ll vote because they’ll have to answer to their constituents?”

Rep. Trent Franks (R-Ariz.) raised another potential snag for House Republicans, one some members may not have realized yet. If there is a government shutdown, Congress will have to adopt a funding bill to restart all shuttered government operations. That gives Obama and the Democrats additional leverage.

“I think the answer is ‘No,’ we’re not ready because I’m convinced that once the government shuts down, you have to have Barack Obama’s permission as it were, you need [Democrats’] help to start it back up again,” Franks admitted. “And if they think that the country is blaming Republicans, they will not hesitate to keep it shut down as long as possible.”

A shutdown, however, could help cool the partisan temperature within House GOP ranks. Hard-line conservatives, buoyed by their tea party supporters back home, have pined for a climactic face-off with Obama and the Democrats. Some say that they need a crisis to force Obama to negotiate — Democrats laugh at this contention. Now they could be getting exactly what they asked for, and party leaders and senior aides are convinced they won’t like it when they do.

“More tears have been shed over prayers that were answered than those denied,” joked a senior House Republican, speaking on the condition of anonymity. “They’ve wanted it. Now we’ll see how they deal with it.”